STARS II

The STARS II spacecraft is a nanosatellite demonstrating a mother-daughter satellite configuration. The acronym stands for Space Tethered Autonomous Robotic Satellite II. The primary objective of the mission is the demonstration of a tethered electrodynamic system of two satellites as the mother spacecraft features a tether deployment and tension control system that interfaces with a tethered robotic system hosted on the daughter satellite. >>>Detailed Overview

Re-Entry Orbit

ArduSat-1

ArduSat-1 and ArduSat-X were built and operated by NanoSatisfi, USA. The satellites were built as a crowd-funded project. The two small satellites provided a platform for use by students or space enthusiasts to run their own space-based Arduino experiments. ArduSats 1 & X carried a bank of Arduino processors on which student/DIY code may run. These processors can sample data from the vehicle's imaging payloads, 1.3-megapixel cameras, or from any of the various sensors installed in the spacecraft including a photolux sensor, IR temperature sensors, printed circuit board temperature sensors, a 3-axis magnetometer, a Geiger counter, a 6-Degree of Freedom Inertial Measurement Unit IMU, and Microelectromechanical gyroscopes.

Re-Entry Orbit

Image: Orbitron

﻿ArduSat-X﻿

ArduSat-1 and ArduSat-X were built and operated by NanoSatisfi, USA. The satellites were built as a crowd-funded project. The two small satellites provided a platform for use by students or space enthusiasts to run their own space-based Arduino experiments. ArduSats 1 & X carried a bank of Arduino processors on which student/DIY code may run. These processors can sample data from the vehicle's imaging payloads, 1.3-megapixel cameras, or from any of the various sensors installed in the spacecraft including a photolux sensor, IR temperature sensors, printed circuit board temperature sensors, a 3-axis magnetometer, a Geiger counter, a 6-Degree of Freedom Inertial Measurement Unit IMU, and Microelectromechanical gyroscopes.

Re-Entry Orbits

Image: Orbitron

IGS 4A

Japan’s Information Gathering Satellite fleet (IGS) is a constellation of remote sensing spacecraft in orbit. IGS satellites either carry an optical reconnaissance payload or a Synthetic Aperture Radar for remote sensing. The main purpose of the satellite program is to provide an early warning capability of missile launches. IGS was initiated in 1998 in response to a North Korean missile test over Japan.

The IGS 4 satellite pair launched in February 2007 and included a third generation optical satellite with a ground resolution of better than one meter, and a second generation SAR spacecraft also achieving a resolution of one meter. The satellites were found in an orbit at 481 to 494 Kilometers that they maintained until 2010. In the summer months of 2010, IGS 4B became non-operational for reasons that were not disclosed. When satellite 4A stopped functioning is unclear, but orbital data suggests a loss of orbit control between mid-2010 to mid-2011.